


Light in Despair's Darkness

by Avret



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Murder Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 01:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4121806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avret/pseuds/Avret
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world has become a battle of wits between opposing manipulators, all aiming to win this fight of life and death. Who will triumph? Who will blunder? Who will survive? Let the games begin. AU, Rational!Naegi. Note: The current update pace for the fic is at least a chapter a month, though normally at least 2 per month. Current arc: 5 (7 students left alive counting Enoshima)<br/>Note:  I am in the process of bringing the entire fic over from FFN.  Until then, however, the full work can be read here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10630743/1/Light-in-Despair-s-Darkness</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Day ?: Prologue: Pandora's Box reopened:

I jog down the third floor corridor, checking each window as I pass. If any still remain open after 4.5 months of lockdown, I'd be exceptionally surprised for the brief seconds before everyone in the building was killed or converted by Super Duper High School Despair. Hence why I'm checking the windows. I need the exercise anyway, I've noticed that I tire too easily in the physical protection training with Sakura. As I pass by the library, I look in, to see that Togami and Fukawa had, yet again, claimed a large portion of the library as reading space, despite the occasional complaints of the other students.

"Byakuya," I ask, "made any progress on uncovering Despair's leadership yet?"

He scoffs, returning a response which had become routine between us: "No, but I notice that I am confused. Specifically, confused by your continued belief that my actions are not subject to the planning fallacy."

I smirk, and continue to jog. Hearing Togami be humble does wonders for my emotions. The scion was damn near unbearable for the first few months I knew him, until I finally showed him that other people can outperform him in matters of intelligence. It was, admittedly, difficult to do so.

I increase my pace slightly, heading for the data processing room; Fujisaki apparently made major progress on both the FAI and robotics systems, and I'm interested to see his results. I've been told I'll find it unbearably impressive, though both Kirigiri and Oowada sniggered while telling me that. I slow as I approach the staircase leading up to the fourth floor; Enoshima and Ikusaba are sitting on the landing, chatting to each other in low, intent voices. I catch a few hurried snatches of conversation, something about a switch, before they notice I'm there.

"Morning, Naegi!" Enoshima says brightly, "On your way to see Fujisaki's new toys? Or are you just running one of your despairingly boring patrols that Mukuro assures me are tactically necessary?"

"Yes," I reply, "I am. And despairingly boring is a bit of an exaggeration."

She laughs, and it sounds out of place in our grim surroundings. "I guess that answers my question. Tell Kiri and Fujisaki hi for me when you get up there, ok?"

"Certainly. Will either of you be heading up to see his work?"

Ikusaba turns towards me, with a strange, almost sad look on her face as she responds."No, Naegi. And I doubt we'll be able to get to see Chihiro's work for a while, at least the rest of today. We're going to be pretty indisposed. Tell me how it looks when we next meet?"

"Sure," I answer, "But I must admit, I am confused as to what you could possibly be doing for an entire day here. Planning something special?"

Her eyes widen slightly, before narrowing. "What makes you say that, Naegi? Why so suspicious all of a sudden?"

I take a step closer, as I am curious what caused her to react like that. "Is that a serious question, Mukuro? You've known me for, what, 500 days now, and this behavior is unexpected?"

Her expression returns to normal, and she relaxes. "You're right, sorry. I guess I'm just paranoid because of our situation here. I mean, what if Despair gets in? Our windows can't stand up to any serious external assault. And, worse, what if they just nuke the school? We have no antimissile defenses."

'That is a disturbing possibility. With the threat we pose to them, and the sheer disregard they hold for human life, it seems inevitable that they'll come to that idea sooner or later. In fact, why haven't they attacked before now? One would think...wait. I'm missing something here.'

As my thoughts continue on, I realize that I have been silent for the past minute or so, and both Enoshima and Ikusaba are looking at me with concerned expressions. I wave them off, assuring them that I am fine, and head up to the data processing room, still lost in thought. As I get to the top of the stairs, the headmaster bolts out of the door to data processing, barely sparing a glance in my direction. Kirigiri and Fujisaki follow close behind.

I call to them as they pass. "What's going on?"

Kirigiri turns toward me, smiling for a moment before her face turns serious as she answers. "There's been an attempted intrusion. Not much more serious than the last few, but we're checking it out. Looks like the front guns got a few more despair operatives, but there's no sense in not making sure of that. The camera hasn't been providing clear pictures lately, so fujisaki's going to try to upgrade it with hardware from the AV room."

"Then why are all 3 of you going?" I ask, before cutting myself off, "Never mind-too risky to send fujisaki down with your electroID and the headmaster's access key, right?"

"Yes, especially with the possibility that it wasn't just a failed intrusion." She begins to say more, but suddenly collapses with a shriek, pressing a hand to her head. The headmaster and Fujisaki turn at the sound.

"Kirigiri!" I shout, propelling myself to where she lies. "What is this?!"

She gasps, her eyes closing. "They...are...inside...prepare...signal...don't give in...beware...Gemini."

My eyes widen, as she hands me a piece of paper. I take it from her hands, pulling a similar one from my pocket, before putting both in a plastic bag. I then hurriedly store the bag in the side of my cheek, before attaching a false cheek piece made of wax to the spot. As I do so, a clear gas begins to flood from the air vents. My last thought before falling unconscious is to hope, desperately, that the people who have outmaneuvered us don't notice the bulge.


	2. Messages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naegi enters Hope's Peak and awakes to find not all is as it seems.

Part 1: Clear sight can be blinded by tears of despair

Day 00: Messages:

The time is 7:35, 25 minutes before the gates of Hope's Peak Academy are due to open. I've arrived early both to get a feel for the area, and to see if I can start getting to know the other students here at the academy before we are thrown into the thick of things. Out of the supposedly 15 or 16 students in the academy, I have learned about 13 of them, not counting myself; they all have various specialties and talents, whether in areas of the mind, the body, or tricking people into believing in the spirit. And as for me, the Super Duper High School Rationalist? I've written a few papers on decision theory, both standard and timeless, and published an analytical solution to the problem of Roko's Basilisk relating to the fallacy contained within Pascal's wager. I would suspect that I'm going to recognize far, far more people than will recognize me, with the exception of the programmer, Chihiro Fujisaki, who I've met at various AI conferences. For most of the rest I'll be just another face in the background, to be noticed and ignored. And that is exactly what I want; I am not someone to walk in the limelight, as it leaves you unable to see that which lurks around the corner.

As I walk towards the school, I realize that I may have performed my objective a bit too well, and nobody else seems to have arrived.

'Well, this is...not impressively unexpected. May as well wait inside, then.'

While I take my first few steps into the Academy, I catch a glimpse of a teenage girl with longish purple hair walking towards me. Just as I am about to call out to her, the world goes black.

'What. The f***. Was that. I just had a damn mental segfault.'

As I slowly came to, a few things argued over which got my attention. First, there was something in the side of my mouth. Second, I was on a desk, drooling, with a pamphlet next to me. Third, the windows were bolted shut. Finally, there was a rather impressively large ceiling mounted turret in front of me. Oddly enough, the last won, rather handily. After diving behind a table, I noticed that the turret was not, in fact, targeting me. This freed up quite a lot of my mind to concentrate on the next problem:The unidentified object in my mouth, which appeared to be a plastic bag with two papers in it, seemingly hidden by a large amount of colored dental wax. The messages were prefaced with two sets of initials:M.N., which was presumably mine, and K.K., who I did not recognize. I opened mine, and began to read.

"Naegi, if you do not recognize the initials on the other message, we have a problem. A very, very large problem. Firstly, to establish proof of my identity, smorgasbord II on june 7th, at approximately 6 pm. Satisfied? Good. Secondly, my apologies for the vagueness of the information I am about to give you, as we could not risk our opponents getting their hands on this message and gaining valuable intel. Here is what I can tell you: We are fighting an organization known as super duper high school despair. About a year ago, a tragedy occurred which left them in charge of world governments and media. You were part of a group that survived that event. As I do not know under what circumstances you were captured, I cannot give you specific advice, but there are things I can tell you. You should try to stay in the academy;the outside world is not especially safe. The person the other message is meant for, Kyouko Kirigiri(the Super Duper High School Detective), is probably more likely to be trustworthy than others, but do not give anyone your complete trust. Try to find the headmaster if he is not with you. Do not give in to what despair asks of you. And, lastly, do not assume that the memories you have are the memories you once had. SDHSD has been able to induce a condition similar to korsakov's amnesia in its intermediate stages. Good luck."

I raised my eyes from the page, my mind going through a welter of emotions before deciding on determination. This was like any other challenge: surmountable. I just needed to find rules I could loophole around and then I was as good as in charge. I turned towards the pamphlet, on which the words "Orientation in the auditorium!" were written in strange, childish handwriting. As I turned to walk out of the room, I caught a glimpse of the same girl I had seen just before blacking out.

"Hey," I called, "Who are you?"

She turned slowly, almost as if she was surprised to be noticed.

"I am Kyouko Kirigiri. And I presume you are Makoto Naegi, the rationalist? I am familiar with your work." She spoke in a strangely soft voice, with oddly clipped tone, almost sounding artificial.

I immediately reached into my pocket, grasping her message.

"I have a letter for you, Kirigiri. And, if I'm not mistaken, it is also from you."

I handed her the message. As she read it, her eyes widened, then narrowed, her face running through the whole gamut of expressions before finally settling, like mine, into a grim determination. She turned towards me, and asked:

"I don't suppose you have any idea what's going on?"  
"No more than you do, I would assume. Though I would expect that the next few hours are going to change that."

We turned, and strode towards the clamor at the front hallway, where 13 other students stood. Raised voices blended into an indecipherable cacophony. I moved towards a door, and sharply rapped on it, bringing others to silence.

"Hello. My name is Makoto Naegi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The switch to past tense in this chapter is intentional.


	3. Dialogues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naegi meets the other students.

Chapter 3: Dialogues:

Everyone in the room turned towards me, each person with different expressions on their faces: some displayed curiosity, some incomprehension, a few recognition, and a few merely annoyance at having been brought out of their conversations. I took a moment to remember who had recognized me, and then pushed on.

"Before I get on with what I wished to say, I'd just like to make sure. Did everyone else also pass out when they entered the academy?"

This question, while it met with a few snorts of derision from some, was answered affirmatively by the whole group.

"I thought so. And, based on the massive door lock and the fact that every window I've passed has been bolted shut, it doesn't seem likely that we will be leaving the academy any time soon. If, in fact, that is where we are."

An athletic looking teen with red hair cut me off there.

"Whaddaya mean, if? We passed out, and woke up here! The hallways and rooms are all the same!"

I sighed. Clearly, this student wasn't picked out for his observational skills.

"So, if this is the same building, how did all of the bolts and locks get here? Based on the time I was out, which, admittedly, is based on a modifiable clock, they were put here in 50 minutes. With no traces of their construction or tools lying around, you'd have to agree that that's more than a little bit unrealistic."

He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again, clearly confused.

"Anyway, if there are to be no more...interruptions, I may as well get on with what I intended to say. As of now, I believe we have three priorities. Find if there are any security weaknesses, make contact with the outside world, and find out what happened to us. I have it on good authority from a very trustworthy source that this may be the result of an attack by an outside organization."

As I said that, I noticed something strange: The expression of the Super Duper High School supermodel, Junko Enoshima, had stiffened. Come to think of it, her face looked weird, somehow different from images I had seen while researching students. I marked that issue mentally for future examination.

A voice broke into my thoughts, coming from a black haired, red eyed teen in a regimented military uniform. "Master Naegi! We cannot spend time on these frivolous pursuits! We must go to orientation! This seeming rule flouting does not belong in a school environment!"

I turned and grinned, before realizing that this was actually a serious statement. Of course, this was the SDHS prefect. This response would have to be made carefully.

"Firstly, you are Kiyotaka Ishimaru, are you not?"

He nodded firmly, his intense expression seemingly boring its way into my skull. I steeled myself before continuing.

"Secondly, I am a rationalist. I do not underestimate the importance of following rules. However, when the notes directing us to orientation are written in crayon, the school we are at seemingly drugs us upon entry, and there is not a wink of staff or teachers to be seen, you must agree that we are no longer in a typical school environment."

He looked unsatisfied, but did not respond. Perhaps I could have been more delicate, but I've never gotten the hang of massaging people's egos.

"However, since we do not know the psyche of our captors, I would agree that getting to orientation soon is better than getting there later. I prefer being on time and alive to being late and, well, late. Anyway, I've said my piece."

I stepped back from where I was standing, and moved towards the group of people. I may as well meet my fellow seeming prisoners. Kirigiri splits off from my side, walking to a corner near the door. As I walked, Chihiro Fujisaki approached me; I'm not really surprised, as it must be reassuring to her to see a familiar face among the rest of the unknowns.

"H-hello, Naegi. How a-are you?" She asked, in a soft, mousy voice.

"I am well, Fujisaki, though I am slightly concerned about this predicament. I must ask you though-did you find a message on your person immediately after waking?"

Her eyes quavered as she answered. "N-no, Naegi. I'm r-r-really sorry, but I didn't have one." As she said this, her shoulders shook, and she looked near tears.

I quickly responded, hoping to prevent her from unnecessary emotion. "No, Fujisaki, its entirely fine, don't worry. I was just curious." She looked somewhat relieved at this, but still not entirely satisfied. Before I could continue speaking, I was accosted by a blond boy who looked like he had spent more than the income of a small country on his wardrobe. He looked exceptionally annoyed with me.

"Why do you think you have the authority to order me around, you plebeian scum? What gives you the right to tell me, Byakuya Togami, what to do?"

I calmly stared him down as I responded. "Well, Togami, unless our imprisonment is exceptionally badly secured, we have no access to anything from the outside world. In here, your power, money, everything that makes you better than these 'plebeian scum' is missing. So, if you think that you are more intelligent than me, or you have a better idea about getting out, then prove it, and I will stand aside. Otherwise, get out of my face, now. Before I show you exactly why it is a bad idea to mess with a well-trained rationalist."

His eyes widened, and his mouth set into a grim line. He looked at me as if seeing me anew, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop as he replied.

"So, you feel I have no power here, 'rationalist'? Are you certain that you want to turn me against you? I am a dangerous enemy to have. And I will not let you off lightly if you continue down this path."

I realized, quickly, that this situation needed to be fixed, before the entire group fractured. I'd only get one shot at this.

"I do not wish for us to be enemies, Togami. And while I accept that this...situation is unpalatable for you, I would offer this compromise: do what you wish to attempt to escape, but do not interfere with my efforts, and I will not interfere with yours. There is no reason to add internal strife to our list of problems."

He looked somewhat mollified, and his reply was slightly less cold.

"An uneasy peace it is then. Naegi, was it?"

"Yes. One question: Did you find a message on your person immediately after waking?"

He looked surprised and curious as he responded.

"No. Did you?"

"I believe you already know the answer to that. What it said, and who it was from, are two questions I'm not quite prepared to answer just yet."

As he began to ask another question, the tv recessed in the wall lit up, and a voice started playing over the speakers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This scene wouldn't write well, for some reason. I hope it came out well in the end!


	4. Announcements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monokuma reveals himself.

Chapter 4: Announcements:

The television screen was filled with static which faded away after a few seconds to reveal a teddy bear whose skin seemed to be a living reconstruction of a yin yang, minus a few small details. He began to talk, seemingly without moving his mouth.

" **Good morning, you little bastards!...I mean students. Anyway, while I'm certain you must be so delightfully curious about your little imprisonment issue, as students of this illustrious academy, you all have obligations to your school. Namely, getting to orientation before your enrollment in this academy is abruptly terminated. I'll be glad to answer your questions there...upupupupupu..."** The bear trailed off into ominous laughter.

Every student in the room looked up; near identical expressions of confusion were present on all of our faces. And, slowly but surely, we began to walk towards the auditorium, taking the first steps into a new world that nobody was prepared for.

As we stepped into the gymnasium, the same bear launched up from behind the podium, landing on it in a crosslegged sitting position. It was then that I noticed that his red, glowing eye seemed to be pulsing in time with my heartbeat. This was...creepy, to say the least. Before I could think about it, the bear launched into a clearly pre-practiced speech.

" **Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let's get things rolling! I... am... Monokuma! And I am this schoool's headmaster! As I'm sure you've all already noticed, you are all trapped here! This is not an accident. It is also not something you are going to change any time soon. The only way to escape is by...Graduation!"**

Here he paused, clearly expecting a question. And he was not disappointed. After about 35 seconds, the SDHS Outlaw Biker cut in, clearly annoyed.

"Get on with it, ya bear bastard! What the f***'s graduation?!"

" **I am so beary, beary glad you asked! The only way to graduate from this academy is by killing a fellow student! But that's not all-if your crime is found out, you'll fail, and nobody wants that, do they. So, get on with it, the day isn't getting any younger, and the weak, squishy bodies of your fellows aren't getting any more mortal!"**

After he stopped talking, the room was left in dead silence. I could hear the fearful breaths of the people surrounding me. Something about that speech didn't sit right with me, so I had to ask about it. I stepped forward, and monokuma immediately turned towards me.

"Monokuma, I have a quick question: what did you mean by 'found out'?"

" **What do you think I meant by it? There's gonna be a trial, of course! And if the correct murderer is convicted, well, then he or she's *REDACTED FOR SPOILERS*. I can't give everything away, that just ruins the fu~un!"**

A plan began to form in my mind, but it still needed a lot of refinement. It seemed that this school would be quite a bit more interesting than I was anticipating.

Monokuma then stood up, seemingly giving up on any more questions being asked.

" **If that's all you guys wanted to say, then leave. Don't forget your electroIDs!"** As he said that, he pulled out 15 cards, one which he threw to each of us. As I caught mine, it lit up, displaying my name and face, as well as tabs saying "Rules", "Report Cards", and "Map".

" **Don't lose those! They're extremely important!"**

Having said that, he turned and leapt off of the podium, seemingly vanishing. The auditorium behind him burst into conversation and cacophony. I turned away-I had more important things to deal with. Namely, the school rules. I pressed the tab on my electroID, and began to read.

" **School Rules:**

The students will live inside the school walls. There is no time limit as to how long they can stay there.

The time between 10pm and 7am is called "Night Time." During the 'night', there are several places that a character should not trespass on. Namely, the cafeteria and janitorial rooms, which will be locked.

All students should sleep in the designated rooms in the dormitory area. Students found willingly sleeping in other places will be punished.

You may investigate the school however you want, as there are no special restrictions on your actions.

You cannot harm the school's headmaster, Monokuma, nor can you destroy any of the surveillance cameras.

A "culprit" who kills a fellow student will graduate, but only if they can convince the other students that they are not the culprit. If the culprit succeeds, the culprit can leave, however, as punishment, all the other students will be killed in the culprit's place. If the culprit is proven guilty, however, the culprit will be rightfully executed.

After three people or more discover a dead body, a "body discovery announcement" shall be made so everyone knows of the death.

Rules can be added to this list, but no rule may directly contradict an earlier one. However, rules may indirectly contradict each other."

I pulled myself away from the rules, with a smile on my face that quickly turned into an evil grin. I was going to own this school. On the other hand, first I needed to make sure nobody died before I could complete my plans. I stepped back into the conversation, which was currently reaching the apex of fearfulness. I raised my voice to a level I was confident would get people's attention.

  
"If I could get your attention for a brief second?" The conversation gradually quieted, and people turned towards me.

  
"Thank you. Now, as I'm sure you would all agree, we would all prefer getting out of here without dying. Therefore, I would propose a plan. One caveat: this plan would require multiple people to sleep in the same room, and I cannot guarantee that the gender divisions will be total. Is that amenable to everyone?" People nodded their assent, some clearly annoyed or partly unwilling but recognizing the necessity for survival.

  
"Good. Now, here is what I propose. The school rules say that we must sleep in dormitories, but do not specify our own. Therefore, I would suggest a 3 person watch system per room, where 2 people are awake at any given time. This does slightly reduce the amount of time spent sleeping, but it isn't likely that we'll have much of a need to get up in the mornings. If at any point a person is found dead after the night time, the two watchers will be the first suspected. Hopefully, they'll be able to provide evidence of the real killer if it was not them who committed the crime. You may pick your own watch partners, just make sure a few people know who they are."

People divided into groups immediately, looking for partners. I didn't much care who mine were, so I decided just to wait for two who were left over. As they dispersed, Kirigiri came up to me.

  
"Naegi, I'm going to reconnoiter the school and determine the extent of our imprisonment and the tools we have. Care to come with me?"

 

"My thanks for the offer, but I feel I'd discover more looking on my own. Meet in the cafeteria in half an hour?"

  
"Certainly." Our business concluded, we split up, hunting for some secret that could be the key to saving us from this prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: All lines from monokuma that seem directly quoted probably are. Also, the school rules are quoted. All other lines are completely my own conception.


	5. Deductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naegi explores what he can of the school and discovers some...interesting pieces of information.

Chapter V: Deductions:

I left the gymnasium feeling more confident than I had since the day I got into Hope's Peak; for the first time this whole day, I had a strategy. Now, all I needed was an opportune time to use it. Sadly, the only way to get said opportune time was to cause a murder, and I wasn't quite that desperate to escape yet. In fact, I doubted I'd ever be that desperate, especially since I was very, very familiar with the effects of Moore's law, and if this didn't work the first time, Monokuma would definitely stop it before I could try again.

As I exited the gymnasium, I came first to the trophy room. After examining the walls and trophies for some time, I came to one near certain conclusion: either this was a real school at some point and for quite some time, or somebody spent a massive amount of time and resources to make it that way. Coming out of the trophy room, I turned down the hallways, walking towards the restrooms. I slowed next to the women's, but decided I could count on Kirigiri to do that bit of reconnaissance; the extra bits of information I might be able to glean weren't worth it, especially since Kirigiri's talent meant that I would almost certainly be hard-pressed to find anything she missed. I then entered the boys' restroom, to discover something very, very interesting: there was no surveillance. Nary a camera existed on those walls. This was extremely suggestive of one of two things: either Monokuma and those behind him showed remarkable restraint given their earlier clear lack of traditional morality, or, even more unexpected, someone besides him and the so called despair planted those cameras. Gears in my mind began to turn as I recalled the message I received more precisely. Could it be that this school was our stronghold? If so, how was it penetrated, and why were we still alive? More to the point, how could I test this hypothesis? Asking Monokuma would reveal that I had outside information, and I wasn't going to do that until I had enough to make a serious grab for control, which even my current plan wouldn't provide.

My mind abuzz with thoughts, I headed out of the restroom, making a beeline for the barred stairwell. Sadly, the designers of the bars were intelligent enough not to leave any openings to its locks or mechanical workings, and I assumed that they were operated electronically, which was not an avenue I could easily interfere with. I then proceeded to the hospital in the middle of the hallway. Shockingly, this hospital looked less like a typical boarding school nurse's office and more like a fully fledged military installment, full of modern medical technology rather than dusty boxes of pills. This also seemed like evidence for the school having been a stronghold, though this evidence was not as strong-this equipment could have come from an SDHS Doctor or hospital technician and been there prior to the "event" mentioned in the message, whatever that was.

I next headed to the school store, which contained nothing impressively interesting beyond the usual machines full of purchase-able knickknacks; however, these looked to contain a rather larger assortment than traditional versions.

Having already closely examined the entrance hall while I first conversed with the other students, I proceeded to the A/V room, where I beheld something I had never expected to see. A room, full of row after row of monitors, each of which looked to be easy to cannibalize for parts. I even saw hardware that seemed to be specifically designed to modify security cameras in the corner of the room. Quickly looking at the school rules, I realized with not insignificant glee that rule 5 only forbade destroying security cameras, and not modifying them. This was, to say the least, exciting; now, because of the incredible leniency given in rule 4, I could detonate an EMP in the school and as long as the cameras themselves were unharmed, I would be unpunishable. I didn't plan to detonate an EMP. Yet. But it was still nice to know that if I ever felt I needed to, the tools for doing so were at my disposal.

Sporting a large grin on my face, I went to the last unique-looking room on the floor: the room marked only with a monokuma face on my map. As I approached, Monokuma appeared in front of me.

" **I see you've found the class trial room-this is where the real fun happens! Here's where you guys figure out who the real killer is, when there is one! And don't worry, there will be one. Upupupupupu..."**

After saying those words, he vanished as suddenly as he had appeared. I walked forward to try the door, only to find that it was locked. It would seem that that door only opens when the room inside it is needed. I took a cursory look inside the classrooms, only to find that the one I had fallen asleep in and the other one looked exactly identical.

As I walked towards the dormitory side of the school, Kirigiri waved me over. As I approached her, I noticed that her composure seemed to be wavering slightly. It would seem that she discovered something interesting as well. As I came close to her, she immediately began to speak in a low, clear whisper.

"Naegi, I examined the whole of the dormitory area, beyond the rooms I couldn't access. There were no cameras in the bathroom or the changing room, but there are in our rooms." As she said this last, she looked intently at me, surprised to see me basically unfazed.

I responded, in the same low, clear tone.

"There were no cameras in the bathrooms that I checked either. Its suggestive, but I can't say of what, lest our speaking not be as secure as we assume it is. And while we do have a place to speak unobserved, keeping it from looking suspicious when we vanish into a bathroom for some time is something that would take at least a few days of preparation and social posturing."

She nodded at this, and began to speak again.

"In terms of survival necessities, both the kitchen and storage rooms are well stocked. The knives in the kitchen are sharp and well balanced, and we'll need to set up some kind of system for guarding them. There is a trash disposal system that requires a special electroID to access, and I heard Oowada mentioning a janitorial position, so I would presume he has said access. Finally, the room marked with my nameplate contained a sewing kit and helpful instructions for killing someone with it."

I nodded, taking the information in and cataloguing it before I replied.

"As for me, the aforementioned cameras missing from the bathroom, first of all. Secondly, the hospital was well equipped to an extreme, almost as if someone was preparing to fight a war there. Also, the bar mechanisms on the stairwells are electronically locked, and I won't be able to circumvent them without special preparations. Finally, the A/V room holds an amazing stockpile of electronic equipment, and I'm confident that I can rig up almost anything I need with Fujisaki's help."

Her eyes widened slightly, and her mouth quirked up as she responded.

"So we do have a chance, then. At least more of one than we did before."

I smirked as I heard that.

"Kirigiri, we have a lot more than just a chance. I have a plan. However, we definitely need to be out of camera range before discussing that, or the missives we both recieved. Shall we begin planting the necessary seeds for the ability to leave camera visibility?"

Her eyes again slightly widened, and her cheeks briefly colored before she nodded her assent. We turned and walked into the cafeteria, where everyone else already was, as I put on a smile that I didn't have to feign. For, although Monokuma didn't know it, I was coming for him. And one doesn't simply imprison a rationalist.

Almost as if he heard my thought, the bear popped up near the center cafeteria table.

" **Oy! Why am I not being entertained by the spectacle of teenage murder?!"**


	6. Motives.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first motive is given.

Chapter VI: Motives:

As the room fell into a dead silence, Monokuma continued.

" **You kiddies should be at each other's damn throats right now, not being all buddy buddy! And now you are agreeing to set up watches! Damn it, I'm losing my touch! Anyway, I've tired of this boring situation, and I want blood. So, I'm going to get it. Go to the A/V room now, and view the DVD marked with your names, or I'm going to start executing people."**

The other students and I quickly followed his instructions, entering the A/V room. As we did so, I caught sight of the DVD with my name on it, next to a monitor slightly to the left of the door. I inserted the DVD, and Monokuma appeared on screen.

" **Now, Naegi, I'd like to make you an extra special offer, which I am certain will tempt you. Before doing so, I'd just like to ask you a question: besides a couple of exceptions, why do you actually care what happens to these people? They are irrational, unintelligent, and all in all the kind of useless cannon fodder you can find for a dime a dozen on the streets! Why are you trying to save them? Now, before you start to say that you are fighting for the few, I know that. That's why I'd like to offer you an unusual motive: one that will last the entire length of your incarceration. I call it 3 for 1. From now on, if you successfully pull off a murder, I will not only allow you to escape, but I'll let you pick two more people of your choice to take with you! That's right, 2 more! You can save 20% of the people in this game if you just give in! But remember Naegi, the longer you wait, the more likely it is that one of your friends has an...unfortunate accident, or that I decide to change my mind about my extraordinary generosity. So don't let this offer pass you by!"**

After that, the screen flickered off, leaving me shaken and uncertain. The disk fell from my shaking hands before I managed to bring my mind back under control. This murder was not worth it, especially since I could save everyone if my plan worked. So I could think about this problem later. I could feel the voice in my mind screaming that I was avoiding the question, and that I needed to look into the darkness of my thoughts and not shy away from them, but it was silenced by the sheer volume of emotions I had at the moment.

Kirigiri turned her head at the sound of the disk hitting the ground, a concerned look on her face. I waved her off, and signaled to her that we'd talk later. I noticed that she herself was trembling slightly, and many students around the room were struggling to hold back tears: clearly, Monokuma knew exactly what he was doing with this incentive. However, I'd assume that not everyone saw the same type of video as me, as it would not have affected them to such a degree. As I watched, students began to file out of the room, all clearly disoriented and confused. I began to speak, my words clearly interrupting some of their reveries.

"I know you must all be scared or concerned, but don't let that affect your ability to think. Doing that is exactly what Monokuma wants. So, find or pick your watch partners, and try to stay with them as often as possible, at least until this first threat blows over. This just makes not murdering more difficult, not impossible." As I spoke, I reflected that the words I was saying were as much for myself as for anyone else.

The other students nodded and split into groups of three that looked prearranged. Kirigiri and Fujisaki walked over to me, presumably for the purpose of room sharing. I nodded my assent at their implied proposal, and followed up with the question that had been on my mind since I saw the DVD.

"Were either of your DVDs offers from Monokuma?"

They both shook their heads, and Kirigiri responded.

"No, mine was a threat to people I cared about, namely, my grandfather. Fujisaki, was yours a threat as well?"

Fujisaki nodded, suddenly looking afraid; it was as if Kirigiri's mentioning the DVD brought her back to thinking about said threat.

"Odd," I responded, "It would seem that Monokuma is following a slightly different tack with me. The bear appealed to my senses of superiority and elitism. He offered me my choice of two others to save if I committed a murder and got away with it, and made the offer permanent. Which means if I can survive until there are 4 people left, if the game gets that far, I can save everyone at the cost of one person."

Fujisaki's eyes widened and she looked even more concerned.

"N-naegi, you shouldn't be thinking about killing someone innocent to save two p-people. It-it isn't worth it. We c-can still escape."

I nodded, and she seemed to relax slightly.

"Now, on a slightly lighter note, whose room are we using for the watch? I don't know if it particularly matters, but I'd like to know now so we can begin moving furniture around."

"Probably mine," Kirigiri responded, "It's closest to the hallway entrance, so we can also keep track of the other students' movements at night. Except for those going to the trash room, but that wasn't happening in any case."

Fujisaki and I nodded, and both of us went to our rooms to collect our belongings before bringing them to Kirigiri's room. As I dropped off the tool kit Monokuma had so thoughtfully provided me with, I turned to Fujisaki.

"Did you notice all of the hardware in the A/V room, Fujisaki?"

She nodded, before replying.

"Y-yes. Some of the camera tools looked s-strangely familiar, and I felt like I needed them for something h-having to do with the front hall."

This struck me for a second. Why would she have needed the camera repair tools? Unless...Despair had done something to our memories, but done it imperfectly, and we had planted the cameras. This matched the information in the message, as well as the curious lack of cameras in the bathrooms to some extent. But some things still didn't make sense. What were so important about those 50 minutes of memory? How had I gotten my hands on wax to send the information? And how on earth had we planted cameras and bolted all of the windows in 50 minutes?! I noticed my own confusion, and that could only mean one thing: one of my fundamental assumptions was incorrect. I'd need to look into this problem more closely.

These thoughts occupied a large portion of my night, filling my mind even while I made easy conversation with the other students through dinner, which I mainly occupied by discussing the virtues of rationalist literature with Touko Fukawa. It was rather difficult to keep up a conversation with her, as she seemed to suspect that any social activity was a trap.

After a mostly uneventful meal, I returned to Kirigiri's room. We agreed that I would sleep third watch, Kirigiri would sleep second, and Fujisaki would sleep first. When it came time for the third watch, I tried to sleep, tossing and turning fitfully for an hour or so before giving up. I eventually decided that my insomnia was caused by my still having the message that I had sent myself. After memorizing the message, I told Kirigiri and Fujisaki to look for me if I wasn't back within half an hour, and set off to wake Oowada and ask him to open the trash room for me. As I walked towards his room(I had seen him and his compatriots enter that room before I went into Kirigiri's), I noticed him standing near the trash room doors, holding a piece of paper.

As I walked towards him, I saw him look up, his eyes widening. Then I felt a brief pinprick in the back of my neck, followed by a brief glimpse of black hair, and then nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the fun begins! Now, while I'm sure many of you can figure out the culprit, especially with the clues you guys are going to get next chapter, know this. This trial is not about the murder, at least not anymore. There's quite a bit more riding on it. Chapter 7, Murders, coming soon, to be followed by chapter 8, Lives(this title is subject to change). Chapters 9 and ten should be the climax and denouement of this arc respectively.
> 
> Please review!


	7. Murders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first death, Naegi's initial investigations.

Chapter VII: Murders

I slowly came to some time later, my vision resolving from a blurry mess of color into two people: Kirigiri shaking me by the shoulders, looking concerned, and Fujisaki standing guard a few feet further down the hallway. I then noticed that I was holding a bloody needle that had definitely not been in my hands before I was knocked unconscious. As my eyes opened, Kirigiri let out a sigh of relief, and immediately launched into questions.

"Do you recall anything about who knocked you out? Why are you holding a needle? Did you see who took down Oowada?"

I took a moment to clear my head before answering; whatever pressure point my mysterious assailant had used to take me down, it had left me a bit woozy.

"I will answer your questions in the order you asked them. Firstly, all I can recall is that they had somewhat long black hair. Secondly, I am not entirely sure, but I believe that I was knocked out with it. The blood on the needle and the fact that I can feel a bit of blood on my neck, as well as my last sensation before knockout having been a pinprick on my neck both point to that. As for the last, I had only barely caught sight of Oowada before I was knocked out. What happened to him?"

Kirigiri mutely pointed to a body that lay just inside the trash room: Oowada was facedown and presumably dead, with a blue thread wrapped tightly around his throat. Just as I fully perceived this, the TVs in the hallway simultaneously lit, and Monokuma appeared on the screens.

" **Looks like one of you little kiddies finally had the cojones to bring an end to another one! And I say, about damn time! Now comes phase two of our wonderful school year: Investigation! You'll have a few hours to find out everything you can about the dastardly villain and the helpless victim, after which we come to the first climax of our spectacularly despair-inducing time here: the Class Trial! You'll find your first hints in your electroIDs! So use your time wisely, students, because you'll almost certainly need it!"**

After those annoyingly unenlightening words, the screens shut down. It would seem that was the 'Corpse Discovery Announcement' mentioned in the rules. I turned to Kirigiri and Fujisaki, before saying what I was certain both of them were thinking.

"Well, it seems the best course of action to do what he says. Meet up in half an hour to compare conclusions?"

They both nodded, and we began our investigation into the first, and hopefully last murder of our time in this academy.

I first looked at my electroID, and saw that a new tab had appeared, labeled 'Monokuma Files'. I opened the tab and the only file contained therein, and began reading.

" **Monokuma File 1:**

Victim: Mondo Oowada

Time of death: 4:30 am

Cause of death: Strangulation, caused by blue thread found around victim's neck.

Miscellaneous: The victim was found inside the trash room. The victim also had a few small cuts and scrapes on the rest of his body, but the wounds do not match the pattern of traditional defensive wounds."

After reading the file, I immediately went to the body and confirmed what observations I could, since it made no sense to trust someone who had already indicated that they didn't much care whether you lived or died. Besides the unconfirmable time of death, everything in the file seemed to be true. Interestingly, one of the wounds on the body was a pinprick on the back of the neck that seemed similar to the wound I had received, and it looked to have bled quite a bit. Another wound on his hand looked like a papercut, presumably from the paper I saw him holding prior to being knocked out. I noticed that the expression on Oowada's face seemed to be one of surprise rather than fear, and also something...protective? Strange.

After examining the corpse, I proceeded to the next most important piece of the puzzle: determining the identity of the thread's owner. I walked over to Kirigiri, who was examining a few scraps of something she found near the incinerator.

"Hey, Kirigiri, what color was the thread you received from Monokuma?"

"Black. And my needle was also a slightly different size."

I thanked her, and proceeded to find Fujisaki, who was a ways down the hallway by this point.

"Hey, Fujisaki, what color was the thread you received from Monokuma?"

She visibly blushed and hesitated, clearly undergoing some kind of internal conflict, before she eventually decided to respond.

"N-naegi, I didn't g-get a sewing kit. I got a t-toolbox. I'm s-sorry for lying to you!" As she, or, rather, he, said this last, he looked on the verge of tears. This was clearly a deep-seated issue for him.

"No, Fujisaki, I am completely fine with you keeping this from me, and I presume you had perfectly good reasons for doing so."

He brightened slightly, before shrinking into himself as he asked another question.

"You-you don't think I'm weak?"

My eyes widened slightly; it seemed this was the reason for his lack of self confidence. I clearly needed to tread extremely carefully with my next words.

"No, Fujisaki, I do not. In fact, I feel it is far more logical to see strength in your decision to reveal the truth then weakness in your hiding it."

He beamed, thanked me, and went off to continue his investigation, leaving me surprised and enlightened as I continued mine. I walked back to the place Kirigiri was examining, and picked up the scraps of paper she had been looking at. They seemed to be burnt pieces of a letter, the rest of which had presumably gone into the incinerator. Most of them were unreadable, but I did see a few words that were recognizable: "Help", "scared for them", and "advice", all written in a neat and curly hand. I noticed that one of the scraps of paper was slightly red, as if it had gotten a bit of blood on it. This, then, was presumably the paper that Oowada was holding when I saw him last.

I next went back to the dormitory, planning to examine room by room, when I noticed something: all of the nameplates were missing from the dorm rooms which were owned by female students: clearly, the killer had thought that far ahead. Crucially, Fujisaki's nameplate was also missing, so the killer had not gone inside the rooms to check whether the contents had been sewing kits or toolboxes. However, there was a slight stain on one of the doors, which I presumed was blood.

After concluding my investigation, I called Monokuma: it was time to put the penultimate stage of my plan into place.

After I said his name, he appeared before me, as suddenly and silently as always.

" **So, whaddaya want, Naegi? Given any thought to my offer?"**

"Perhaps, Monokuma. Perhaps. However, I called you here to ask a question: how much time are we given in a class trial?"

" **I...I've actually never thought about that. However, I'll be generous, since we're such good friends! Before a culprit is accused, I won't put any limits on you! However, after a villain is chosen, I'll harshly punish any stalling."**

I nodded. This was going exactly as I wished. However, now came the fiddly part.

"So, can I ask you to put that in the school rules? The other students don't damn well trust me. I'm starting to tire of their antics." As I said this last, I allowed a bit of badly hidden annoyance to show through in my expression.

" **Of course, Naegi! I know just how annoying those students can get! And, remember, if you ever get too annoyed, your options are open! Upupupupupu..."**

Monokuma vanished, and I let out a sigh of relief after checking that he had, in fact, updated the rules. It seemed whoever was behind him was still fallible, and believed my feigned emotions for long enough to accede to my requests. Now all I needed to do was wait for the trial. As I sat, thinking, an idea came to me: I could make my plan even more secure, and all I needed was a few seconds with Kirigiri before the trial.

A voice interrupted my thoughts: Monokuma's, to be precise. His head again filled the hallway screens.

" **A question that I was just asked reminded me of something: I haven't actually told you kiddies how Class Trials work yet! I know, I screwed up! If you want to find out, and trust me, you do, get to the gymnasium for a first class tutorial!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And, after a brief pause in storytelling caused by religious necessity, I'm back!
> 
> So, the first murder has been committed, and Naegi's getting his plans together. But will the Law of Unintended Consequences take another casualty? Upupupupupu...
> 
> Chapter 8, Lives, should be out tomorrow or Monday. Chapter 9, Trials, should be out by the middle of the week. After that, updating may slow because my educational year is starting, but I'll try to have chapter 10 out by the end of the upcoming week


	8. Lives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Investigations come to a close, and another divergence point occurs.

Chapter 8: Lives

As we filed into the gymnasium, I noticed Monokuma and Enoshima trading meaningful looks. Combined with the earlier oddities I noticed in Enoshima's behavior and appearance, this made me more than slightly suspicious of her motives; I positioned myself close enough to her to take action to stop her if she started to act strangely. After the last student entered the auditorium, Monokuma appeared from behind the podium, in his typical silent and sudden fashion.

" **As I said before, I've forgotten to tell you how class trials work, and I can't let that be the case! So, here's what you need to know. Each trial will consist of two main phases: Conviction and Proof. In the first phase, you'll all be trying to figure out who committed the despairingly evil crime, and in the second, you'll be proving your case against the villain. After these two phases are concluded, we enter the trial's climax: Ballot Time! You'll all be voting on who you think the killer is, and majority vote decides the conviction. If you are right, the murderer will be treated to a deliciously ironic execution courtesy of yours truly! But, if you get it wrong, the murderer gets off scot free, while the rest of you face an extravaganza of death! Any questions?"**

Enoshima immediately piped up, with a look of anger and confusion on her face.

"Yeah, I got a question! Why do we have to take part in this...this nonsense? What's stopping me from coming up there and giving you a good beating?"

Monokuma's eyes seemed to widen at that, and his arms opened wide as he grinned.

" **Why don't you attack me and find out? I look forward to it."**

As I saw Enoshima tense up, I quickly moved forward, hooking my foot around her ankle, and sending her crashing to the ground when she lunged for Monokuma. The thud of her body hitting the floor left the other students in awed silence. I quickly reached for her neck to find that, thankfully, she had a pulse. A few seconds later, her eyes jerked open, and she grabbed my wrist. She looked more fearful than annoyed.

"What the hell, Naegi?! Why'd you attack me like that? Are you on the bear's side or something?"

I shook my head, keeping my expression neutral. If I didn't play these next few seconds correctly, Monokuma and Enoshima would realize I knew something was up.

"No, Enoshima. I just don't see sense in sacrificing your life for no reason. Look at rule 5: it specifically forbids attacking the headmaster. And given the massive amount of turrets present around the school, I would assume that Monokuma and whoever is controlling him have the resources to make good on the implied threat. I completely understand your wanting to attack Monokuma, just..wait until you have an opportunity, ok?"

She relaxed, quite a lot of the fear leaving her eyes. As she stopped struggling, I moved away, and she stood up, and remained still.

Throughout this whole exchange, Monokuma remained motionless, some amusement tinging his expression as he watched the spectacle. After Enoshima stood, he grinned widely, and turned towards me.

" **So, little Naegi thinks he's going to find an opportunity to attack me? You are so, so impressively hopeful, and it will be inexpressibly wonderful to turn that hope into excruciatingly black despair."**

I calmly regarded Monokuma as I responded.

"You know, Monokuma, you go on and on and on about your motives. But, I must say, I'm really feeling more bored than despairing at this point."

Monokuma's eyes widened, and I could have sworn he looked insulted as he vanished behind the podium.

After Monokuma disappeared, the students dispersed, and Kirigiri came up to me, clearly annoyed with what I had done.

"Naegi, what motive did you actually have for stopping Enoshima?"

I looked at her silently, and motioned towards the security cameras, before mouthing 'changing room'.

Kirigiri immediately turned and headed for the aforementioned room, dragging me by the wrist for the whole way. As soon as we closed the door, garnering a few odd looks and wolf whistles from other students, she began speaking, in a quick and annoyed tone.

"Ok, I understand the need for secrecy, but what motive did you have for doing what you did in the auditorium?"

I checked that the doors were locked before responding.

" I did what I did because Enoshima has been acting suspiciously since day 1. When I first mentioned an outside organization, she was the only student who reacted. Also, as we entered the auditorium, she and Monokuma traded glances."

Kirigiri's eyes widened at this, and she hesitated before responding.

"So, she is despair, then?"

I nodded, before remembering another reason I needed to speak to Kirigiri.

"Most likely. There is a side request I need to make of you: can you ensure that nobody in the trial accuses a culprit until I do? Tell them it's because I want to ensure we don't jump to conclusions, or something along those lines."

She looked confused, but nodded.

"I'll do what I can, but why?"

As she said this, she paused, and a growing smile began to form on her face.

"Wait...you were the one who caused the new rule to be added to the electroIDs, weren't you. The one about time limits?"

I nodded, a similar smile forming on mine.

"Who else would have? Now, I'd prefer to keep the exact details of the plan secret, for now, at least until we get to the class trial room. Because, at that point, it will be too late for Monokuma to do anything."

She inclined her head, still smiling.

"That will have to do. Now, I believe we have a trial to get to."

We both walked out of the room, heading for the class trial room. As we approached it, I saw two things: first, the door was open, and second, the room was a station for an elevator which contained no security cameras.

As we entered the room, Monokuma appeared.

" **Well, now that our two latecomers have finally arrived, we can begin the main event! Get into the elevator, and get ready for the thing you've all been waiting for! When this elevator ascends, its all up to you how many people leave: 14, or 1. So come one, come all, because its time for a Class Trial!"**

We filed in, and Kirigiri immediately split off to talk to the others. A few minutes later, she returned, with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Everyone has agreed at least provisionally, though some were more resilient than in particular was insistent about knowing the real reason for the decision, but I believe he conceded in the end."

I sighed before replying.

"It would seem that will have to do. Hopefully, I'll get at least a minute or so of uninterrupted speaking time. And that's all I'll need."

Kirigiri's eyes widened, and she looked extremely concerned.

"Naegi, how can you be certain that that amount of time will be enough? What exactly are you planning here?"

I smirked, letting my inner confidence show through. As the elevator clunked into place and the doors opened, I replied.

"Well, Monokuma has been playing us for fools this whole time, what with his motives and perfectly timed announcements. Its only fair that I return the favor."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, everything's falling into place now. Next chapter, Trials, will be out by wednesday(hopefully) while Chapter 10(whose name will be left unknown...for now) should be out by the end of the week.
> 
> Please review!


	9. Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first class trial.

Chapter 9: Trials

We stepped out of the elevator, each student walking towards the seat with their portrait on the back. I was seated directly opposite from the chair marked with Monokuma's face, at the far end of the room. After we all took our seats, Monokuma appeared in the aforementioned chair, holding a gavel. And, punctuating each word with a bang of said hammer, he said the words which began this fateful trial.

" **Court. Is. Now. In. Session!"**

After he said those words, I stood up, and immediately launched into a preplanned monologue.

"Does anybody mind if I start things off?"

As the other students shook their heads, I continued.

"Well, I believe I only need to say one thing to get my point across. There will be nobody accused today."

Seeing the other students and Monokuma stunned into silence, I barreled on; the only way that this plan would work was if absolutely nobody had time to think and change the rules to accommodate it.

"Because, Monokuma, while you may have insured and protected yourself in every possible way, there's still one thing you could never take out of our hands: our participation in this farce of an event. So, I feel like I need some more information to make an accurate decision in this trial. Namely, the condition of the outside world and the memories you stole from me. Fulfill those demands and maybe I'll pick a culprit."

Monokuma's eyes widened, and he seemed to look afraid for the first time since he had first appeared. However, this seeming fear quickly vanished behind his ever-present smirk as he responded.

" **So, Naegi-kun is ready to attack. Well, I must say, you do seem to hold all of the cards. So, you wanted to see the outside world, then? Are you sure you want it?"**

I smirked and nodded. Did Monokuma really think I'd have second thoughts because of this petty attempt at fear-mongering? He saw my nod and moved towards a button that slid out of his chair. Just as his paw was about to land on it, a voice was heard in the courtroom. Sayaka Maizono's voice.

"Why're you so eager to make sure we don't pick a culprit, Naegi? Seems awfully suspicious to me! How do we know you didn't do it?"

After she said that, I could almost hear my plans shattering.

And as I heard her voice followed by Monokuma's triumphant laugh, I realized there was one thing I had forgotten to account for:the actions of an irrational, desperate culprit.

" **Culprit accused! This trial now moves into the proof stage, and as such, rule 9 no longer applies! Sorry, Naegi, but you lose this round!"**

I whirled towards Maizono, hoping that the sheer coldness of my voice could bring across the anger I currently felt.

"Maizono, first, you just doomed everyone else in this courtroom in a futile attempt to save your own skin. Second, in your eagerness to frame someone, you picked the one person who literally could not have committed the crime."

She looked stunned, both because of the vehemence of my response and the first point I had made, before rallying and replying.

"What do you mean, couldn't have? You were found at the scene of the crime! You had a bloody needle in your hand!"

I briefly gaped before bursting out into laughter.

"Somebody's a bit overeager, aren't they. Well, given that those are your only two pieces of so-called evidence, I can understand that."

Her eyes widened.

"Well, Naegi, laugh all you like, but you still can't disprove-"

I cut her off midsentence.

"I can't disprove? Oh, I can. And I will. However, before doing so, I'd like to ask-How, exactly, did you see me at the crime scene and not see the body?"

She seemed confused.

"How can you prove I didn't see the body?"

"The corpse discovery announcement didn't play until I was fully conscious and saw the body, and Kirigiri and Fujisaki had both already seen it. That brings up another question: how, exactly, did I murder someone while unconscious from getting a needle stuck in my brain stem?"

She immediately retorted.

"There's no way you can prove that you were knocked out!"

I chuckled.

"Really, just stop with this 'you can't prove anything' mantra. I know I can't 'prove' anything, I'm a bayesian rationalist. However, I can show that its exceptionally likely. By, for instance, showing that I have the same type and depth of wound on my neck as Oowada did. Now, if I were the murderer, why, exactly, would I have knocked myself out with a sewing needle? And, secondly, why would I have removed all of the nameplates on the female students' rooms, while leaving a splash of blood on your door? Surely if it were meant as a frame-up, I would have left the nameplates on? And, lastly, my handwriting looks nothing like those wonderful scraps of letter paper you so handily left lying out of the incinerator. Is everyone besides her satisfied that I didn't kill Oowada?"

The other students nodded, and then Yasuhiro Hagakure, the SDHS Shaman, cut in.

"But who did? We're back to square one, aren't we?"

I smirked, shaking my head.

"In no way are we back to square one. In fact, I'm going to tell you who killed Oowada, and exactly how they did it. Let us begin at the beginning: the A/V room, where they received their motivation in the form of a threat to someone they cared about. They immediately resolved to kill someone to escape, but who? They probably decided on Oowada because of one of two things: his position as janitor, or his innate protectiveness. After having picked a victim, the murderer sent them a letter, appealing to his protective side and asking for help in their situation, requesting a night meeting. What they did not expect was that someone, namely me, would be out to meet Oowada that night. Acting hastily, they knocked me out, and took down Oowada before he could realize. After that, they tore the paper from Oowada's hand, cutting it in the process and ripping the paper, and then garroted Oowada with the thread. After Oowada died, the killer proceeded to cover their tracks: putting every shred of paper they could find into the incinerator, leaving the bloody needle in my hand, and removing the nameplates from the dorm rooms so nobody could tell which room had gotten a blood splash on it. As for the provenance of that blood, I'd assume it came from either mine or Oowada's necks, as both wounds bled quite a bit. Now, without further ado, the person who committed these crimes: Sayaka Maizono."

Her eyes widened, and she started trembling.

"There's no way...you can prove any of this! It's all lies! Lies and slander!"

I looked calmly back at her.

"Well, then, Maizono, where's your sewing kit? Show us that the thread is unused, and my whole explanation falls apart. So, go on, prove me wrong."

She gaped, before breaking down in tears.

"Please, don't execute me. I...I...I had to save my friends! Please, have mercy! Please!"

I snapped.

"You want me to have mercy?! After you kept everyone else from escaping! After you stopped us from regaining our memories! You want me to have mercy on you, after you valued your own life over the lives of everyone else in this room? No, Maizono, I will not 'have mercy'. You will not be saved this day. You will fall, and it will be a just penalty for your selfishness and idiocy."

She fell silent, and Monokuma cut in.

" **Well, it looks like Naegi-kun has grown some fangs! Anyway, its Ballot Time! Press the button in front of you that corresponds to the culprit you pick!"**

I pressed a button, as did every other student in the room. A large slot machine appeared, flickering through images until Maizono's face stopped on all three rows, and the word guilty flashed up beneath the rows.

" **Correct on all accounts! And now, without further ado, what you've all been waiting for...Execution!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Executions, the conclusion of the arc, should be out by wednesday if not earlier.
> 
> As for the story: No plan survives contact with the enemy, does it...


	10. Executions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first execution, and the end of arc 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this chapter contains a graphic execution. If you wish to skip past it, go to the scene break about halfway through.

Chapter X: Executions

The screen graphic above our heads abruptly changed, now showing a sprite of Maizono and the words Game Over. Meanwhile, Maizono's chair back reclined slightly, and a metal claw appeared behind her, gripping her throat. As it yanked her back down a suddenly opening hallway, the graphic showed Maizono being dragged backwards by Monokuma, and the words 'Sayaka Maizono has been found guilty. Commencing execution."

After a few second, the entire back wall of the Class Trial room vanished, revealing a large blank area with a platform at the back. After a few seconds, Maizono rose up from a trapdoor beneath the apparent stage, her hands chained to a microphone stand which was bolted to the stage.

Monokuma appeared in front of the remaining students, all of whom were sporting identical expressions of confusion.

" **For our first execution, I thought I'd give you all something special. So, without further ado, I present...The Final Performance!"**

He vanished, and the space between us and the stage abruptly filled with Monokumas, all of whom were applauding. Suddenly, two large spotlights switched on, lighting up Maizono. One of the Monokumas in the audience threw a rose, and it glinted strangely in the lights as it flew. Once it hit the stage, it stabbed into the ground with an audible slicing noise, causing Maizono to jump back. Immediately, all of the Monokumas pulled out roses, and soon the air was a deadly blizzard of the bladed flowers. For a while, Maizono dodged them, with the kind of impressive fluidity that only a mix of fear and massive amounts of adrenaline can provide. However, after a while, she began to tire, and soon a rose struck a glancing blow to her right leg, leaving a thin but deep gash. Her face whitened, and she sunk to one knee briefly before levering herself back up on the microphone stand. However, her movements were now slower and unbalanced, and after only a few more seconds, a rose landed a direct hit to the back of her knee. She collapsed, screaming. It seemed the rose had hit a tendon and severed it. After she collapsed, the amount of thrown roses decreased, and it seemed that the Monokumas were deliberately missing, creating a ring around Maizono to ensure she could not move. After this was done, one Monokuma stepped forward, holding six roses in his paws. The first one hit Maizono in the other tendon, and she dropped to a prone position, still bleeding. The second and third hit her in the elbows, pinning them to the microphone stand. The fourth hit her in the stomach, leaving her bleeding out on the ground. The fifth and sixth hit her in the eyes, impaling them. Before throwing the last, Monokuma turned to us.

" **Now, students, I'm going to offer you a choice. I can either give you something that will help you figure out this school's mysteries, or put her out of her misery. You have 15 seconds to decide before getting neither."**

I immediately stepped forward.

"I would like to apologize to everyone who would disagree with this decision, but we need the help escaping. If its any consolation, I would suspect she is rather beyond pain at this point."

Monokuma nodded.

" **You have chosen...wisely. In return for watching your friend die in abject misery, I will unlock one floor of the school for you after every class trial."**

He turned back towards Maizono and began to laugh, and his laughter almost covered up the sounds of her endless gasping for breath. Eventually, after she finally stopped breathing, he turned back to us.

" **Congratulations on surviving your first class trial! You...are...dismissed!"**

* * *

The students filed back into the elevator, some in tears, some surprised, and others merely stoic; I fell into this last group, minus a small degree of shaking. Kirigiri walked towards me, but I motioned her away and mouthed 'talk in the room'. She nodded, and walked away.

After the elevator locked into place on the upper floor, I ran out, pushing past people. My mind was ablaze with alternatives, trying, desperately to think of some way I could have saved everyone, some possible action I could take to make sure nobody else ended up dying. I kept seeing images of Oowada lying garotted on the ground and of Maizono's last accusing, pleading face before she was pulled into the execution. I sprinted into Kirigiri's room and closed the door, my mind now replacing Maizono's face with Kirigiri's or Fujisaki's, endlessly tormenting me with thoughts of what could happen the next time I failed them and failed myself. I sat on the bed, panting, and gradually brought my mind under control; by the time Kirigiri walked into the room, I was breathing calmly again and my mind had stopped with its terrifying imagery. She sat down on the bed beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Naegi, you should not blame yourself. Your plan should have worked."

I laughed ruefully.

"Kirigiri, let me ask you something. If a man falls off a cliff, and his parachute has a hole in it, will telling gravity you should be immune to its effects make any difference?"

She shook her head.

"Furthermore, not blaming myself is as pointless as blaming gravity for the inevitable splat of that man. While it may well be partially true, it changes nothing. Apportioning blame to myself is the only way I can be mostly certain that I will avoid similar mistakes next time."

She nodded, but still looked concerned.

"Be that as it may, Naegi, you cannot handle this alone. While you may be better than the rest of us at planning, you are not infallible, and your emotions are not perfectly governed. Please, let me help you. For your own sake."

I slightly tensed, before relaxing and moving slightly closer to her.

"Thank you, Kirigiri. I needed to hear that from someone, so that I could convince the last reluctant parts of my mind to agree with it. From now on, I'll bring you in on plans, tell you of at least some of my deductions, and at least try to share the emotional burden. Of course, I still can't trust you completely, for obvious reasons."

She nodded, before slightly smiling..

"I wouldn't have expected anything less. Also, please, call me Kyouko. Given the amount we've been through, it seems only fair."

"Then call me Makoto, ' I responded, a similar slight smile gracing my features.

"Now, Kyouko, I've hit a snag in terms of planning. Unless the second floor yields any new weaknesses of Monokuma, I have nowhere to strike him at, without making extremely drastic moves."

Her head tilted slightly, and her eyes widened questioningly.

"What, exactly, do you mean by drastic moves?"

I paused before replying.

"Moves like, say, getting Fujisaki to help me convert the equipment in the A/V room into a terminal capable of VM interactions, and then remotely overriding the puppetmaster's control of Monokuma. Which, needless to say, is rather high risk."

She laughed.

"Yes, I have to agree with that assessment. Should we go reconnoiter the second floor, then?"

I nodded, before briefly pausing. Perhaps there was one way I could still get information from Monokuma.

"I'll see you there soon, Kirigiri. Just...give me a few minutes, ok? I think I can solve a lingering...problem."

She inclined her head, and stood up.

"Just...don't take too long, ok, Naegi? Last time you left during a meaningful conversation, you ended up passed out bleeding in a corridor."

I laughed, and stood up, walking out of the room. The moment I left, I changed my expression to one of barely controlled despair. It was time to take advantage of Monokuma's presumed hubris.

"Hey...Monokuma, I-I've got a question."

Monokuma instantly appeared.

" **Whaddaya want, Naegi-kun? Feeling the despair yet?"**

"I just want to know...why? Why the choice?"

" **To get the viewers interested, of course! Nothing fires people up like a good moral dilemma!"**

Monokuma stood silently after that, as if waiting for me to make the connection. When the import of his words hit me, it hit like a runaway train, and I gasped. Of course Monokuma had been willing to give in, and of course he had played up every event;after all, he was performing. I immediately allowed my expression to return to its true state of quiet confidence, and Monokuma gasped.

" **WHAAT? Naegi-kun, you lied to me! You still had hope! No fair!"**

I smirked.

"Yep. And you fell for it, like, well, a bear falls into a spike pit. Now, I have a message for you and our wonderful studio audience: its not over yet. If you thought I was done after one scam, you thought wrong. Because, when it comes to plans, I'm just getting started."

End of Arc 1

Current dead students: Maizono, Oowada

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This fic is a crosspost from FFN. I am currently working on transporting the rest over, but it's kind of an arduous process since FFN doesn't allow imports. Until I finish importing, feel free to read the rest of the fic on FFN(same title, and also by me, avret)


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